


Brotherly love

by dirtylittlegreasemonkey9384



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Foster Care, M/M, Manipulation, Rescue Missions, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-18 07:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4698314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirtylittlegreasemonkey9384/pseuds/dirtylittlegreasemonkey9384
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No lodge, no affair, none of that drama exists. An AU where Aaron and Robert are happy boyfriends of a year and a half, where Robert couldn't be more content, until somebody enters the village with a grudge and a dangerous advantage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by footprintsandfingerprints.tumblr.com! I hope the first chapter has done her prompt justice so far. By the way, although you may think so because of the title, this isn't an incest fic! Enjoy! x

Dusty blonde hair, freckled skin, blue eyes. 

His work shirt laid on the floor, the name tag loosely attached to his shirt read 'Hi I'm Ben! I'm here to help!'

Only the name was true. It was a stupidly optimistic name-tag, especially for where he worked, a ninety nine pence shop in the high street where most people either ignored him, or came up and asked "how much is this?" brandishing a bottle of bleach or no-brand four pack of baked beans in one hand.

"It's a ninety nine pence shop, take a fucking guess." he wanted to say. He couldn't though, that would be a quick way to get fired and he didn't need that.

Sat on the end of his bed, staring at his reflection in the mirror he pressed the tips of his fingers to his cheek, dragging the skin before running his thumb over his bottom lip, lightly chapped. His phone was on the floor by his feet, he had dropped it a few minutes ago.

Closing his eyes Ben held his metaphorical breath before diving into his memories, the ones he dared not explore usually, although they still appeared before him in his dreams.

Rejection, that was the theme, the thread that tied every memory of his childhood together. Pity in the eyes of strangers who were paid to take care of him, who were paid to care. Who couldn't stand the prospect of him in their lives so much that even financial incentive wasn't enough for them to keep him. 

There were these faded, rainbow cushions that lined his living room for the first eighteen years of his life. They were comfortable enough, if he could grab one before the other kids rushed in and stole them. 

He remembered he used to set his alarm specially for six am, so he could pad downstairs before any of the other children and park his bum on one of those rainbow cushions by the window. 

He spent a lot of time by that window, staring.   
Waiting.

What was he waiting for? God knows, someone who cared without getting a pay-check for it? His mother to suddenly appear? A friend? Someone who didn't shove him in a separate room for 'time out' to get rid of him when he was upset?

He found them, eventually. At the age of six he made friends with another lad, who occupied the room opposite his and was one of the only kids who hadn't tried to push him around. His name was Liam, he was eleven and he cared. It was all Ben could ask for really. 

Ben and Liam, they were inseparable. Every dinner time they sat next to each other and the rest of their time was spent in one or the other's room, playing games, talking about nonsense or reading. The age gap was hardly noticed by them, apart from the fact that Liam was very protective. The other kids backed the hell off Ben when Liam was about. 

Ben lost it when Liam left, when at the age of eighteen he had no choice but to pack up his stuff. He didn't have much, and he'd left a lot of his stuff in Ben's room, in the hope that it would give his young friend some comfort in his absence.

Ben tried, he really did. Once Liam had left, the scent of him still lingering on Ben's shirt from their goodbye embrace, Ben had rushed up to his room, placed the first of Liam's tapes into the player and turned the volume right up. 

The workers didn't bang on the door and tell him to keep it down, not on that day. They just checked up on him every hour or so, giving him a sad smile when his eyes shot to the crack in the door every time they tried to sneak a look. Ben didn't smile back, his head still hurting from the crying.

A few years later, after the second failed fostering attempt, Ben had dragged his limbs back to the home, opening the door to see a familiar grin.

Liam was working there now, a full fledged care worker and even at sixteen, five foot nine with lanky arms, Ben couldn't stop himself grabbing his old friend in a huge hug, clinging like he had done at thirteen. 

Partners in crime reunited once more, every person in the home had tears in their eyes witnessing that display. It was truly heart-warming. The first time they'd seen Ben smile in a while, years.

Lying on the his bed Ben sighed, these memories weren't any good, he had to go back further. Before the age of sixteen, thirteen, six. 

The earliest thing he could recall was from around the age of four, the first time he'd arrived at the home, hand encased the hand of Rita, his social worker with dark curly hair and deep brown eyes. 

The memory was old, fuzzy and faded, but it still wasn't good enough. He needed something from his first few months, from the age before he could speak or walk. 

He needed to unlock it somehow, because there was no other way he could make sense of the news he'd just received.

Liam had phoned him a few days ago, quite out of the blue, sounding breathless on the other end of the line.

"Ben, where are you right now?" Liam had said. 

Ben rolled his eyes when he heard that, Liam was always doing random shit like this.

"At home, about to be late to work thanks to your call, what do you need?" Ben had responded, glancing at the clock as he pulled on his work shirt. He didn't have much time before his shift started.

"You're at your flat?" Liam sounded shocked, almost scared.

"Yes, my flat, you've been here many a time. You drunk?" Ben asked.

"No, but... I just saw you, like two minutes ago."

"Well if you were sat in the tree outside my bedroom window then maybe, but other than that, no you didn't. Thought you were out of the city on work?"

"I am, I'm in Yorkshire, some village called Emmerdale." Ben snorted at the name.

"Sounds a barrel of excitement, but you didn't see me there."

"Ben, I am outside a pub right now, looking at a seat that someone who looks dead like you just stood up from. He's literally your double."

"Oh, you got me quaking, what d'you think this is? A shitty 80's horror film? 'I've just ran into your doppelgänger!' I gotta get to work, feel free to keep stalking Ben 2.0 if it makes you feel better."

Ben had hung up after that, turning up to work ten minutes late and cursing Liam every second of the lecture his boss gave him.

A few days later, the bizarre call almost forgotten, Ben's phone had rung again.

"Hey man, you back from Yorkshire yet?" Ben questioned as he pulled his boxers off and changed into fresh ones.

"Yeah, look you have to listen to me. When I got back I had to visit the place you went when you first put in care, the place that specialises in little kids. I had a flick through the care home files, found one right behind yours."

"That place still standing? I visited a few years ago, it was a shit hole. Yep, that's how files work, one behind the other." Ben said, rolling his eyes as he sat back on his quilt in just his boxers, placing Liam on speaker phone.

"The kid was only in care a few months before he got adopted."

"Well how lovely for him, your point?" Ben tried and failed to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Most kids in care get adopted or fostered at some point. Him and Liam were examples of when that sadly doesn't happen, when kids spend their entire childhood in a home, waiting for their parents to come round the corner. 

Spoiler alert, the parents never come round the corner. 

"Listen. The kid was born on the 22nd of April 1989, same day as you."

"That's real fascinating, it's almost as if we live on a planet with seven billion other people and coincidences exist." Ben replied dryly, stretching out his legs and reaching to his bedside table to pick up a bottle of beer. He cracked the top off using the edge of the table and took a sip.

"Robert, adopted by Pat and Jack Sugden at the age of three months. Robert Halsey."

Ben stopped at the sound of his surname, preceded by this other kid's name, this foreign sound in his mouth. Robert Halsey, it made no sense.

"Ben he came with you. You were both entered into the care system at the same time, together. You went to the same place, until he was adopted. He's your brother Ben, more than that, he's your twin."

Dizziness had caused the phone to drop at that point. 

No, Ben was an only child, abandoned by his mother after his birth, alone. How could he have a brother that he'd only just found out about?

Ben sat up, realising that trying to remember anything was futile, and picked up his phone.

"Liam, you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. You alright man?" Liam's voice was gentle. 

"Not really. So this Robert, he was adopted by these people, and they just left me?" Ben tried not to sound hurt at the prospect.

"Sounds like it. Sorry mate, that must be shit." Clearly Ben had failed at sounding casual.

"His name is Robert Sugden now then?" Ben asked.

"It should be, unless he's changed it for some reason."

Ben grabbed his laptop from the floor and opened the lid.

"I'm gonna search this guy, only because it's you and I'm bored, if you're bullshitting me I will go to your apartment and kill you." Ben hung up before Liam could respond.

Clicking on google he moved his mouse to the search bar. 

'Robert Sugden'

Enter.

Pages and pages of results turned up, but it was the images that caught Ben's attention.

After the first result, a page for a real estate agency, were about four or five images. Ben could hardly believe his eyes as he clicked the first.

The image opened in a separate tab, larger than before. It was man, mid twenties with dusty blonde hair, freckled skin and blue eyes. He was grinning, wearing a god awful shirt with a blue suit jacket and tie.

The next image was the same guy, but a lot more casual this time, his head resting against another man's, eyes closed, blissful smile on his face. It was a facebook photo. Ben followed the link through to the guy's facebook profile.

The photo was the man's profile picture, the name printed clear as day beneath it. Robert Sugden.

Most of his stuff was locked, but his business link was public, along with his profile picture album. Ben headed straight for the photos, mouth slack.

Laughing in the pub with a group of seemingly intoxicated friends.

Standing with arms folded and a professional smirk outside an impressive looking skyscraper.

Kissing a young woman's forehead with his arm thrown over her shoulder.

Holding a pint in one hand with a pair of geeky glasses over his eyes as dark haired lad reached for the spectacles, looking bemused.

Standing on the edge of a pool in swimming trunks with a grumpy expression on his face, hair completely soaked as if he'd just been drenched.

Then the last photo. Lying on the beach with the same lad that had been in his profile picture, their hands linked, staring straight up into the camera. The scruffy guy's head resting on his bare shoulder.

It was the same guy in every photo, and in every photo Ben could have been looking at a mirror.

This man, this Robert Sugden, he was identical in every way. Liam was right.

Holy shit. 

He had a twin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the time it took, life got ahead of me is all I can say, not an excuse but I apologise. I hope this is okay, mistake free and stuff, comment and stuff if you want to and enjoy! x (sorry sorry)

It was exactly a week after the realisation that Robert Sugden was his twin and Ben already had a plan in action.

Ben wrinkled his nose as he glanced around the hotel room he'd be spending the next few days in. He was in no position to be picky, but he couldn't stop himself from turning to Liam with a desperate expression.

Liam was offering no sympathy.

"It's two nights, which I'm paying for by the way. I'm doing you a favour, so you can stop sulking." Ben rolled his eyes before walking over to the bed, poking at the stiff mattress with his thumb. "It doesn't even move when you press it."

"Ben..."

"No, look at it! It's concrete in a sheet!"

"Right, I'm gonna go gather information, which I've given up a week's holiday in order to be able to gather by the way, and you're going to shut up and wait by the phone." Liam ordered before walking out.

He and Liam were in Hotten, the nearest town Ben could find to this cut off Yorkshire village where his identical image was running around, and he had spent the entirety of the night before begging Liam to go in the village and get some information for him.

The type of life Ben might have had, if he'd been the one adopted on that day twenty five years ago.

He sat on the rock disguised as a bed and opened his laptop, wasting time until Liam called. He found himself doing what he'd spent the last seven days doing, googling this Robert Sugden and becoming more and more frustrated with every good thing that was going on his life.

This lad, his brother, had it way too good in his life.

According to articles he'd seen written about him he was fast on his way to becoming a millionaire, having built up his business from scratch.

' _Well it's not easy y'know, you start from nothing and you just have to work. There's no real secret to it, it's about how much you want it, how much you're willing to put in. I put in my whole life, and it worked._ '

A quote from the man of the hour himself, in some stupidly pretentious business magazine. Perfect, he even had that humble 'started from nothing' storyline for the papers to lap up. He hadn't started from nothing. Robert Sugden hadn't come close to seeing what 'nothing' looked like. He had a family who wanted him, parents who sat in the audience for his school plays, a life of being wanted.

He thought he knew about starting from nothing? What a joke.

It was at that point, with Ben seething as he scrolled through more stuff about this success story who shared his genes, that his phone rang.

"What?" Ben snapped.

"Woah, I'm doing you a favour here mate, show some gratitude." Liam responded, the power of his position coming through in his cockiness.

"Fine. What did you find out?"

"Spoke to a couple of people, including his brother in law, some local scrapper called Adam, decent bloke as it happens, and got some names, Robert's got a brother called Andy and little sister, Victoria. Robert lived in the village until he was eighteen, had a bust up with his dad and left home, went to London and practically built up an empire. Came back a few years ago for his dad's funeral, his mum died shortly after and he decided to stay put for Victoria, to everyone's surprise. Then he met Aaron Livesy."

"Aaron Livesy?"

"Boyfriend, wait no, fiancé as of last week. Adam's been Aaron's best friends for years and years, part-owns the scrapyard business with him. Apparently Robert and Aaron kept their relationship secret for ages, months."

"Why?" "I spoke to some locals, they says Robert had a bad reputation when he was younger, getting with loads of people, he didn't want people thinking he was using Aaron. Aaron changed him apparently."

Ben let out a breath, a smile on his face.

"Brilliant. How the hell do you get this stuff out of people?"

"I'm charming aren't I? People can't help but like me, trust me and that. Adam's already invited me out for a pint with him and Aaron tomorrow."

"Nice one! Anything else? Where he's living, more family life stuff, all that?"

"He also has a stepmother, she runs half the local pub down here, her name's Diane, they're close. Other half is owned by Aaron's mum, Chastity, or Chas they all call her, and from what I can grasp her and Robert get on alright. As for where he's living, I've heard that him and Aaron recently bought a cottage in the village, close to the scrapyard. What's all this for anyway?"

Ben chuckled, standing up to walk up to the window, leaning against the wall as he twitched the curtain back, watching the busy streets. There was a traffic jam, just rows of headlights that seemed to stretch back indefinitely, a certain smugness on the pedestrians on the street.

"Robert Sugden has it good, better than good. I think I deserve a bit of the action."

The next day was when the true news arrived, a text at half eight in the morning which caused Ben to stir under the loud hotel sheets.

"Robert's leaving Emmerdale tonight for a business thing, gonna be gone for a week apparently. Are we going with the plan?"

Ben sat up, re-reading the words several times before getting out of bed to pace around the room, a rather annoying habit he had. 

Him and Liam had spent the best part of the night discussing the plan, why Liam was gathering information, what it was all heading towards. At first Liam hadn't been too sure, but after the promise of some cash and a touch of guilt tripping there was no way he could say no.

Grabbing the lukewarm bottle of water by the bed Ben took a sip, typing a reply with one hand.

"No time like the present, God knows when another chance'll come along. Come to mine later when he's gone, we need to talk it through."

* * *

"You sure you don't mind?" Rob asked, arms loosely draped over Aaron's shoulders as he stood in the doorway of their home, nudging his boyfriend's nose with his own and kissing his cheek.

Truth be told he didn't want to go, in an ideal world he'd have sent someone else off and spent the week in bed with Aaron, maybe heading into town for dinner or down to the pub for a drink, but other than that they wouldn't leave the cottage.

Rob had recently been working late, and with the scrapyard business picking up Aaron was out most mornings before five. Rob always woke when Aaron got up, his body clock now naturally attuned to Aaron's time after a year and a half of sharing a bed with him, but Aaron always banned him from getting out of bed so early when he didn't need to, kissing him goodbye and ordering that he enjoy the fact that could sleep until eight, what Aaron would call a lie in.

Rob couldn't be prouder of Aaron, and Adam he supposed since the scrapyard was a joint effort, but even though he was receiving profits as chief investor and the extra money they both received from the business meant they could live pretty worry free, especially with the savings account Rob had recently added Aaron's name too, there were still times when Rob hated that they both worked so hard.

Like now for instance, he was almost hoping that Aaron would ask him to stay so he'd have an excuse to try and find a way.

It wouldn't work, his business was looking at a potential investor who was larger than all the others put together, and a possible way to boost their profile overseas, the top dog needed to be the one to seal the deal.

God Rob hated being the top dog sometimes.

"I don't mind, it'll give me chance to possibly get your sister back on my good side after yesterday." The way Aaron said it, along with the memory his words stirred and pointed glare all had Rob bursting out in laughter.

"I'm so sorry about that, I swear I didn't know she was coming round."

"It was fine for you, you weren't the one pushed up against the wall with your boxers round yer ankles."

"It was a beautiful view I promise." Rob teased, pressing a kiss to Aaron's mouth and giving himself a few seconds to enjoy the simple pleasure of Aaron's taste, before begrudgingly pulling away and picking up his bag.

"I'll miss ya." Aaron muttered as he followed Rob down the path.

"Don't start saying that, it makes me not want to go!" Rob whined as they reached the car and he placed his bag in the back. Pausing to glance at his watch he tugged Aaron into a tight embrace, burying his face into his boyfriend's neck.

"I'll miss you too. I'll call you when I get there alright?" He promised into Aaron's skin, voice muffled.

"You'd better. Come on, you have a plane to catch." Aaron pulled away and opened the driver's door, gesturing for Rob to get in with a nod of his head.

"See you Saturday okay?" Rob said as he slid into the seat and closed the door, only to open the window and dip his head out of it, glancing up and braving the bright sunlight so he could look into Aaron's face.

"See you Saturday, have a good flight and when you get there turn on that Sugden charm. They'll have no chance."

With a final chaste kiss and a squeeze of Aaron's hand Rob pulled out and drove off, waving out of the window until he'd rounded the corner and his boyfriend was no longer in sight.

Aaron sighed before walking back up the path to tug the cottage door shut. If he could avoid the empty house he would.

Down to the Woolpack for a pint.

* * *

 

"Ben open the door would you?"

"Hang on two damn seconds." Ben yelled back, tugging at the towel around his waist before opening the door, one hand clutched at his waist to preserve his modesty. "Just had to knock when I was in the shower didn't you?" He asked sarcastically, walking into the hotel room. He heard Liam close the door behind him.

"You didn't have to shower on my account mate, trust me I've seen you at your worst." Liam responded cheerily, pulling open the pizza boxes and beginning to hack their dinner into slices as Ben returned to the bathroom to get dressed. 

When he emerged, skin tinged red and smelling strongly of citrus shower gel Liam slid the pizza box over to him, sitting on the hotel floor with his back against the wall.

Ben pulled a slice to his mouth, catching the tendrils of lava-like cheese on his tongue before flinching at the burn. 

"Okay, so go on, don't leave me hanging. He's gone I assume?" He asked Liam through a full mouth. 

Liam raised an eyebrow, pointedly swallowing his mouthful before speaking.

"Yeah, left about six until next Saturday. Aaron spent practically the whole night in the pub. Didn't speak to me at first, but after he'd had a few I introduced myself, told him I'd met Adam and he started speaking a bit, he's not a chatty guy really. But yeah, he confirmed that Robert has left."

"Perfect, so when is it gonna happen? If the guy's meant to get back on Saturday, what d'ya reckon about Wednesday?"

"Seems as good a day as any." Liam stopped, careful to think through his words before allowing them to be vocalised. "Ben, I'm just wondering if, well if this is really necessary."

Ben raised his head and Liam shuffled back out of habit, knowing from past experience that Ben could fly off the handle out of nowhere.

"Necessary? Of course it's necessary. I could probably be ten times the man Robert is right now if I'd had that start in life. Instead I got fucked over, you know how it feels, it happened to you too."

"Yeah I guess,  but I'm happy now. I mean, I love my job, I think I'm doing quite well. I mean, do I wish I'd had the same kind of childhood as most kids? Sure, and I agree it isn't fair but this all seems a bit excessive."

"Alright Liam," Ben said, shuffling closer to him. "I need you with me on this. I can't do this without you, and if you say you're gonna do it I need the full bunch, no half measures, otherwise this won't work. So are you with me, you and me against the rest like it has always been, or are you gonna just wash your hands of me too?"

It was a disgusting tactic, but a useful one. When Liam's head dropped Ben knew he had him right where he wanted him.

"Y-yeah, course I'm with you, sorry. I'm with you, all the way, let's do it." 

Ben smiled before pulling Liam into a hug. 

"Thank you."

* * *

 

"Aaron? Oi Aaron!" 

Aaron glanced up at Vic, who was waving her hand in front of his face.

"What d'you want?"

"Bloody hell Aaron, he's back in three days, can't you keep your sanity until then? I mean he's my brother and I'm coping with him being away just fine. Try ten years of basically no contact with the bugger."

Aaron's hand curled tighter around the pint he was nursing. 

"It's not Robert. Haven't you spoken to Adam today?"

Vic shook her head, reaching around her back to untie her apron before draping over the bar and taking a seat on the stool next to Aaron.

"No, he didn't get in 'til I was asleep and I was still in bed when he left this morning."

Aaron shook his head.

"No, understandable mistake though Vic. He didn't get in after you fell asleep and then leave, he didn't go home, neither did I. We were both stuck on the phone in the cabin until stupid hours of the morning, trying to desperately get hold of a client in Beijing, who out of nowhere told us, by email by the way, that he's pulling out of the biggest deal we've ever secured." 

Aaron slammed his hand on the bar, making Vic jump and attracting the attention of Diane.  "Not only that, but after that guy pulled out, three other major clients, including that one a few months ago who was talking about the huge investment to grow Holy Scrap? Gone too. All said the same thing, 'In light of the recent circumstances.'"

"What recent circumstances?" Vic asked gently, resting a hand on Aaron's arm. He covered it with his own, grateful for her care as he tried to calm his breathing, shaky with anger.

"That's what me and Adam thought, so we checked online, trying to find something. Someone, I don't know who and they'd better pray I don't find out, has been spreading lies, saying stuff about me and Adam, trashing our reputation. We'll be lucky to have one investor other than Rob by the end of the week. We're sunk, we're done, finished."

"That makes no sense, can't you just tell them that whatever they've heard is lies?" Diane chipped in, drying a pint glass. 

Aaron snorted.

"You don't think we tried? It's too late Diane, business is 90% reputation. Investors want nothing to do with a company that has a terrible rep, doesn't matter if it's true or not, because customers don't want anything to do with a company with terrible rep. The rep we have now, no customer is going to want to touch us with a ten foot bargepole." 

At that moment the pub door swung open and banged against the wall as Adam stormed through. He didn't say anything to his wife, instead opting to sit next to his best mate, rest his head on his shoulder and curse loudly into the thick material of his hoody. 

Aaron lifted his pint to his mouth, clapping a hand onto Adam's shoulder, knowing exactly how he felt.

"Lemme guess, Lucas has pulled out?" Aaron asked, signalling for Diane to bring his despairing friend a pint.

Adam nodded, head still in Aaron's shoulder.  "And Moore, as of five minutes ago." he added. 

Aaron groaned. "And she was one of the ones who seemed to really get on with us an' all." 

Vic moved to stand behind the two boys, an arm draped over each of their shoulders. 

"It'll work out."

"How Vic?" Adam snapped, finally pulling his head out of Aaron's shoulder. "It's over. You'd best call Rob and warn him mate. He's at risk too, when we go down the pan he's set to lose a fair bit."

"I can't just call him up Adam, he's trying to sort out his own business, how distracting is that gonna be? 'Hi, I know you're preparing for the meeting of the year, but just thought I'd tell you that my business you invested in has gone down the drain over night. Aren't you so proud?' S'not happening."

"He has to know Aaron." Diane said carefully, handing Adam his pint.

"He'll find out on Saturday, we'll still be failing and falling fast at that time." Aaron said, his tone suggesting the discussion was closed.

Vic sighed, rubbing Aaron's shoulder before freezing, eyes fixed on the window.

"What?" She muttered to herself as the door opened.

Aaron pulled his head up and glance over his shoulder to see what she was going on about.

"Rob? What are you doing back?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it was okay! I'll have the next one up a lot sooner I promise <3  
> Say hi! dirtylittlegreasemonkey.tumblr.com  
> :3 x

**Author's Note:**

> Hope that was alright! Next chapter will likely be up in a couple of days. No beta but it should be fine, leave comments and whatnot telling me what you thought!  
> Say hi! dirtylittlegreasemonkey9384.tumblr.com  
> :3 x


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